Over 100,000 amiibo figures have been sold in Japan thus far
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News | 6 Comments
Yesterday, Nintendo shared some sales data for amiibo in the United States. We now have information about how the figures are performing in Japan.
According to Japanese sales tracker Media Create, 104,000 figures have been sold thus far. Link is the most popular amiibo with 16,000 units sold. Since Link works with both Smash Bros. and Hyrule Warriors, Media Create speculates that consumers were interested in getting special items.
Media Create talks about the sales of Super Smash Bros. for Wii U as well. It sold 228,000 copies in its debut week, which is much lower than the 820,000 first week sales of Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
This newest Smash Bros. was the first multiplatform entry in the series having launched on both Wii U and 3DS. Because the 3DS version released in September, Media Create believes more users flocked to that version. Smash for Nintendo’s handheld moved 945,000 units in its first week and total sales are at 1.788 million. Combined, the two games on Wii U and 3DS are at two million copies sold.
More: Japan, Media Create, sales, top
3DS update version 9.4.0-21 out now
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News | 9 Comments
We just received a 3DS update earlier this week, but Nintendo has already prepared new firmware. Version 9.4.0-21 is now available for download.
Here are the full update notes:
Further improvements to overall system stability and other minor adjustments have been made to enhance the user experience.
That’s it! Not a major update, but one that’s required nonetheless.
Thanks to DavidTendo for the tip.
More: system update, top
November 2014 NPD: top 10 best-selling games in the U.S. – Smash, Pokemon in top 5
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News, Wii U | 12 Comments
Update: NPD made a reporting error in its data. The new list is as follows:
1. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare – Activision
2. GTA V – Take-Two Interactive
3. Super Smash Bros. – Nintendo
4. Madden NFL 15 – EA
5. Assassin’s Creed Unity – Ubisoft
6. Far Cry 4 – Ubisoft
7. Pokemon Alpha Sapphire – Nintendo
8. Pokemon Omega Ruby – Nintendo
9. NBA 2K15 – Take-Two Interactive
10. Halo: The Master Chief Collection – Microsoft
NPD Group has released a listing of the top ten best-selling games in the U.S. for the month of November 2014. The results can be found below.
- 1.) Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (360, XBO, PS4, PS3, PC)
- 2.) Grand Theft Auto V (PS4, XBO, 360, PS3)
- 3.) Super Smash Bros. (NWU, 3DS)
- 4.) Madden NFL 15 (360, XBO, PS4, PS3)
- 5.) Pokemon Alpha Sapphire (3DS)
- 6.) Far Cry 4 (PS4, XBO, 360, PS3, PC)
- 7.) Pokemon Omega Ruby (3DS)
- 8.) NBA 2K15 (PS4, 360, XBO, PS3, PC)
- 9.) Assassin’s Creed: Unity (PS4, XBO, PC)
- 10.) Halo: The Master Chief Collection (XBO)
November 2014 NPD: Nintendo’s response – big Pokemon, Smash, amiibo sales
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News, Wii U | 11 Comments
Nintendo’s response to the November 2014 NPD report is in. Pokemon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire, Super Smash Bros. for 3DS, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, and amiibo all experienced high sales.
On the portable side, 3DS software sales rose by over 40 percent compared to the same time last year. Wii U hardware and software sales increased by over 10 percent and 90 percent respectively over the same period last year. The week of November 23 was the biggest single week of Wii U hardware sales since the console’s launch in 2012.
Pokemon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire have sold almost 1.5 million combined physical and digital units in the U.S. thus far. Total Smash Bros. 3DS sales have surpassed 1.5 million copies while Smash Bros. Wii U sold nearly 710,000 units. Nintendo says amiibo sales “are approximately equal to sales of Super Smash Bros. for Wii U so far, while Link, Mario and Pikachu (in that order) have been the best-selling figures to date.”
View Nintendo’s full NPD response below.
One Piece: Super Grand Battle! X getting amiibo support for costume unlocks
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News | 8 Comments
amiibo support is coming to One Piece: Super Grand Battle! X. Bandai Namco has revealed that the functionality will be used to unlock special costumes in the game. A Jump scan shows Luffy wearing Mario and Luigi costumes, Sanji wearing a Fox outfit, and Zoro in a Link costume.
Jump also shows how to unlock secret character Sabo. This can be done by entering a special cheat code on the start screen: L+R, BX, Left, Right, AY, Up and Down. View some footage of Sabo below.
Nintendo Download (12/11/14, North America)
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS eShop, News, Wii U eShop | 10 Comments
This week’s North American Nintendo Downloads are as follows:
Wii U Retail
Angry Birds Star Wars
Angry Birds Trilogy
Wii U Download
Lucadian Chronicles
Wii U Virtual Console
Crash ‘n the Boys Street Challenge
3DS Retail
Angry Birds Star Wars
Angry Birds Trilogy
Moshi Monsters Katsuma Unleashed
Moshi Monsters: Moshling Theme Park
Transformers: Dark of the Moon Stealth Force Edition
Wipeout 2
3DS Download
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy
Xeodrifter
My First Songs 2
Hazumi
Talking Phrasebook – 7 Lanauges
I Love My Little Girl
I Love My Little Boy
3DS Virtual Console
Harvest Moon 3 GBC
3DS Demos
I Love My Little Girl
I Love My Little Boy
I Love My Horse
eShop Sales
Another World – 20th Anniversary Edition is more than 50 percent off in the Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS and Wii U starting at 9 a.m. PT on Dec. 12 until 8:59 a.m. PT on Dec. 22.
How to Train Your Dragon 2, Planes Fire & Rescue and many more games from Little Orbit are on sale starting at 9 a.m. PT on Dec. 16 until 8:59 a.m. PT on Jan. 14.
Shut the Box, Blok Drop U and other games from RCMADIAX are on sale until 8:59 a.m. PT on Jan. 7.
Woah Dave! is more than 70 percent off (reduced from $4.99 to $0.99) starting at 9 a.m. PT on Dec. 15 until 8:59 a.m. PT on Jan. 2.
Rage of the Gladiator, Monster Shooter and more fun games from Gamelion are on sale until 8:59 a.m. PT on Jan. 8.
Steel Empire is more than 40 percent off (reduced from $29.99 to $15.99) until 8:59 a.m. PT on Jan. 15.
Darts Up 3D and Soccer Up 3D from EnjoyUp are on sale until 8:59 a.m. PT on Jan. 8.
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U Photo Challenge
Join the fans in the Super Smash Bros. community on Miiverse by posting a snapshot from the game based on the theme “Eat!” After the challenge ends on Dec. 16, Mr. Sakurai and the game’s developers will select and announce a handful of their favorite images.
Source: Nintendo PR
More: Nintendo Download, top, Virtual Console
Sakurai talks Duck Hunt inclusion in Smash Bros., 8-Player Smash originally planned for Melee, more
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News, Wii U | 11 Comments
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U launched in Japan last week. As such, Japanese magazine Famitsu sat down with director Masahiro Sakurai for a chat about the latest entry in Nintendo’s successful series. Some very interesting tidbits were shared, to say the least.
One of the topics Famitsu brings up is the inclusion of Duck Hunt. “The original Duck Hunt is a quite major game,” Sakurai said. He notes that the title could be the best-selling shooter game in the world since it was included with the NES in America.
Nintendo of America shares updated amiibo statement – some sold-out figures may return later
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News | 5 Comments
Nintendo of America has sent us an updated statement about the amiibo stock situation in the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. What the company says is actually encouraging, as the Big N notes: “Certain sold-out amiibo may return to these markets at a later stage.” Perhaps there’s some hope for Villager, Wii Fit Trainer, and/or Marth returning to retailers in the future.
In any case, here’s the full statement:
“Some amiibo were very popular at launch, and it is possible that some amiibo in the United States, Canada and Latin America may not be available right now due to high demand and our efforts to manage shelf space during the launch period. Certain sold-out amiibo may return to these markets at a later stage. We are continually aiming to always have a regular supply of amiibo in the marketplace and there are many waves of amiibo to come.”
Keep in mind that these comments do not come from a customer service representative. Rather, they’re from Nintendo directly.
Koji Kondo on the difficulty making Super Mario Bros. 3’s theme, why the title screen didn’t have music
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News | 0 comments
In a recent interview with USgamer, Koji Kondo was asked about what soundtrack/piece of music gave him the most difficulty. Kondo pointed to one game: Super Mario Bros. 3.
As he explained:
The most challenging [piece] was the main theme for Super Mario Bros. 3. The [original] Super Mario theme itself was almost a little too empowering. That indelible impression it left in the user’s mind with how it matched up with what Mario was doing on the screen—that was a big mountain to climb when we started working on the music to Super Mario 3. I remember creating lots of different music in different styles, trying to come up with something that would match that game and be different enough from the original Super Mario theme. It was tough. It took me a long time to come up with something I thought would work, and it was really me and Mr. Miyamoto and Mr. Tezuka—the three of us—right up until the very last stages of development, listening to all of these different music pieces that I created, before we finally settled on what we ended up using.
Any time you’re working off of existing music, and you’re revamping it for the next title, that’s just always a tough gig. And that’s true for every title, starting from the first [one]. It’s tough for me, of course, but maybe even more so for the people on my staff, who are working on different arrangements of music they didn’t even compose. They’re working on music that I composed, and now they’re having to go back and do some rearranging to match [music from] current games. So if it’s tough for me, I think it’s even tougher for them.
